Foolish Games
by Res'pense
Summary: Haruka is a loner surrounded by people. Usagi is an uprooted girl at the mercy of her father's ambition...
1. Chapter 1

Foolish Games

Usagi has been yanked from one city to the next for her father's ambitions since childhood. When they end up in Tokyo and her father enrolls her in the elite Infinity Academy, she is on a collision course with failure. Haruka is a loner surrounded by people who don't really know her, but something about Usagi makes her want to be close to someone. The relationship progresses until tragedy strikes and difficult choices must be made. (AN: this is my first Usagi/Haruka fic, be kind and review!)

Chapter One: Class

"Usagi!"

Usagi grumbled sleepily and rolled over, cracking an eye toward her open bedroom door. Her mother was standing there, an apron tied around her waist and a spatula in hand, the picture of domestication. Usagi pulled her pillow over her head. "Gimme ten more minutes. My alarm hasn't even gone off yet."

"Oh no you don't!" Her mother exclaimed, whipping the blankets off her daughter and snatching the pillow from her head, oblivious to Usagi's surprised complaints. She opened the gauzy white curtains and pulled up the blinds, bustling around the cardboard boxes that were stacked in haphazard piles throughout the entire room. "Your alarm went off ten minutes ago and if you don't get up now you'll be late for your first day at your new school." She picked up some dirty clothes, draping them over her arm and waited until Usagi had pushed herself out of bed and shuffled to the connected bathroom, her long blonde hair trailing behind her. "Your uniform will be on your bed when you get out of the shower."

She heard Usagi grunt through the door and the sound of running water before she turned to get the new uniform from the ironing board in the kitchen.

The hot water finally woke Usagi up and when she stepped from the shower her uniform was on her bed as her mother had said it would be. Of course, anything her mother said would come to pass always did. She dressed quickly and was glad the dark green plaid skirt had been washed before she had to wear it. It wasn't exactly made of the softest material and she grimaced at herself in the mirror, pulling at the folds of the skirt until it was lying relatively flat. The blouse wasn't much better but at least it was short sleeved and didn't look like a paper bag. Her hair took longer to do, she pulled it up into her regular odangos, the rest of her hair falling over her shoulders and brushing against the backs of her calves. It was ridiculously long but her mother had made her promise years ago she wouldn't cut it until she turned eighteen. Looking at herself in the mirror as she clasped her star necklace around her neck, she wished that her eighteenth birthday was closer than a year away.

She sighed and with one last glance, grabbed her brown leather book bag and clomped down the stairs. Her mother was back in the kitchen baking something but she looked up and clasped her hands together in delight when Usagi sunk into one of the kitchen chairs at the table. "Usagi! You look darling!"

Usagi rolled her eyes at her mother's choice of words. "Not exactly the word I would have chosen, especially on my first day of school in yet another new town."

Her mother sighed sympathetically and leaned against the counter. "Darling, I know how difficult it is for you to adjust each time we relocate but this promotion your father took…he really needed it."

"Mother, he didn't need it, he wanted it. Just like he's wanted each and every other promotion that has taken me from one side of the world to the other." She stood up, ignoring her mother's protests and walked to the front door. "Maybe for once you would both think about me and what I need, instead of being consumed with status and money!" She slammed the front door behind her and stormed down the front walkway.

It was sunny out and already warming up. She sighed and turned onto the main road, which was lined with pretty trees and tidy trash bins. Other teenagers were walking in pairs and riding bicycles and motorists sped along. Shops were beginning to open up and a small lady opening a tea shop bowed slightly and smiled, her eyes disappearing in wrinkles when Usagi walked by. Usagi tilted her head back and smiled, her anger already wearing off despite how long the emotions had been eating away at her. It had been nearly her whole life. When she was six her father had accepted his first promotion which had uprooted her and her mother from the comfortable suburbs of Tokyo and landed them in Paris. After that she had moved at least once a year from major city to major city in all parts of the world. No one could say she hadn't traveled.

She sighed. It really wasn't her mother's fault and she tried to ignore the irritating feeling of guilt that was beginning to settle uncomfortably in the pit of her stomach. Her mother had been nothing but supportive and sympathetic through all of the moves. Usagi sometimes forgot that her mother left behind as much as she did each time they moved. It was easier to blame her mother for the constant moving. Her father was never home and when he was, he was either in bed sleeping or in his office preparing for the next big meeting. He had aspirations to climb to the top of his company and eventually be the leading man in the industry and the way he moved, Usagi didn't doubt it would happen. How many more promotions between then and now though…she sighed again, and let her book bag hit the front of her thighs.

It was best to not get attached to anyone or anything. It made the inevitable leave much more difficult and the friendships she made never seemed to weather the trial of time and distance. It would be decidedly tougher to not get attached this time though. They were back in Tokyo and she was enrolled in the prestigious Infinity Academy, something that gave her father thrills. He very proudly informed her on the plane that getting her into the school had been extremely difficult because of her poor grades and lack of extraordinary talent but that he had been able to convince the dean that they were in need of some new facilities. So he had donated an exorbitant amount of money just so she could attend a school she was vastly under qualified to attend. There was no doubt in her mind that she would be a disappointment to him, as he had told her that he expected her to excel at her studies and come by some latent talent for art or music or sports.

She snorted, remembering his infuriated look when she'd calmly told him she planned on failing her classes and spending her extra hours doing drugs in the park. Her mother hand intervened and she'd gotten away with nothing more than her father's irate yelling and her mother's pleading looks.

Usagi's thoughts were interrupted when someone bumped into her shoulder roughly and she stumbled. She barely caught herself and the palms of her hands stung. She looked up to see a tall blond guy running off, a burgundy jacket tossed carelessly over his shoulder. He didn't even glance backward when she pulled herself to her feet and yelled "Jerk!" at his back.

"How rude." She muttered, rubbing her palms against the wool of her skirt. Scowling, she glanced at her watch and nearly shrieked. School started in less than five minutes! She took off running, dodging other pedestrians and bicyclists with less skill than the boy had. Six minutes, two skinned knees, a bloody palm and a ripped skirt later, Usagi shoved her way through the front door of the deserted Academy halls. Chest heaving, she thought she would have a minute to maybe find a ladies room and collect herself but two pairs of eyes found her as the door slammed shut behind her.

Usagi froze, her hand half way through straightening one long pig tail, and the other bloody one clutching her book bag with a death grip.

A tall guy with a mess of sandy blond hair was standing casually in front of a petite red head with a clip board. Both were dressed in the school uniform and both looked more cool and collected than Usagi knew she looked. She cleared her throat uncomfortably and tried to detangle her fingers from her length of hair. "I…I'm new." As soon as the words were out of her mouth she felt like smacking herself in the forehead. She sounded like an idiot.

The guy's eye brow arched up until it was hidden by his tousled bangs and his slate blue eyes flashed with amusement. Usagi felt her mouth go dry. He was one of the most attractive guys she had ever seen. Subtle muscles were apparent under his shirt and his face was amazing in a feminine way…he was probably a model…Usagi felt heat pool in her cheeks when she saw his eyes run over the length of her body.

"You look like you tangled with someone before you got here." He remarked, his voice a sensual caress that closed the distance between them. Usagi swallowed and tried to collect herself. His voice was enough to throw her off though and when he took a step and held out his hand, she nearly dropped her book bag and threw herself into his arms. "My name is Haruka Tenoh."

Usagi stared at his outstretched hand, wondering at his feminine name before she transferred her bag into her other hand and slipped her hand into his. The touch of his skin against hers was a shock and her arm tingled pleasantly.

Haruka raised an eyebrow again. "And you are…?"

Usagi jumped, her face turning crimson. "Usagi Tsukino. I'm new."

Haruka laughed, the sound sending shivers down Usagi's spine. "So you said."

If her blush deepened anymore she would look like a tomato. "Oh…yeah. I've had…"she reclaimed her hand and waved it in the air before finishing lamely, "a really bad morning."

"Well, it's about to get worse." A harsh voice cut into Usagi's embarrassed haze and the red head strutted over, her green eyes snapping. She looked at Usagi with distaste and Usagi wondered what she had done wrong…

"I'm giving you both a detention. Tardiness is not something that is tolerated by Infinity Academy, Tsukino." The girl turned her nose up and managed to look sophisticated as she peered at Usagi down it. "I have no idea what you had to do to manage to get enrolled here but I imagine it must have taken a lot of money. Regardless, you were late and now you will stay after school for the rest of the week to appreciate the differences in class between yourself and the rest of us…whom actually deserve to be here."

Usagi's ears burned with humiliation and she bit her lip to keep from lashing out at the snobby red head, her hands clenched to her sides. She refused to let this girl belittle her. Her father had paid a kings ransom for her to attend this stupid, elite school and she would be damned if anyone made her feel as if she didn't deserve to be there.

Usagi straightened her back and tilted her head, her cerulean eyes hardening and her lips curving into a mocking smile. "What I may lack in natural talent I make up for in class and personality…neither of which you seem to possess, which is more the pity for you." She walked away, her heels clicking on the tiled hallway, hips swaying in defiance, leaving two people to stare at her back.

Well, let me know what you think!


	2. Chapter 2

The final bell signaled the end of Usagi's first day of classes

The final bell signaled the end of Usagi's first day of classes. Detention was in the opposite wing of the school from her final class of the day, and she walked slowly through the halls, in no hurry to get there.

After the incident that morning with the red head and the handsome blonde, Usagi had not bumped into either in the halls or in any of her classes. She'd been relieved to know she wouldn't have to be subjected to the red head on a daily basis but there had been a whisper of disappointment each time she realized the blonde, Haruka, wasn't walking through the classroom door. As for becoming attached to anyone…well, it didn't look like she would have to worry about thwarting any budding friendships. For the most part, none of her fellow classmates had tried to talk to her, and except for the occasional once-over from the male students, no one even looked her way. Usagi had felt them looking during classes or during the lunch hour, but they were careful to only glance her way when she wasn't looking. It seemed that her reputation, or rather her father's, had preceded her.

The room that was supposed to hold detention was small with empty chairs set up in a circle, and brightly colored posters and paintings everywhere. The teacher's desk at the front of the room was empty as well. Written across a white board was "Please sit down and wait", which Usagi did, choosing a chair in the front of the circle near the door. Moments passed before Usagi realized that Haruka had been given detention too and could be arriving any second. Her heart took off on a wild race of its own accord and Usagi tried to appear calm and cool. She folded her hands in her lap and crossed her legs at the ankles as she'd been taught in an all-girls school in England. The door to the hall was open and as she waited, groups of students passed by and glanced in at her in amazement, many of them doing a double take before giggling and moving on, whispering. Usagi inhaled deeply, trying to contain the blush that wanted to creep up her cheeks; apparently detention was more unusual here than at previous schools she'd attended.

The first hour passed rather quickly as Usagi stared out the window and daydreamed. She didn't even realize when the second hour had passed because she was engrossed in discreetly counting the ceiling tiles and window panes and floor tiles. The third hour rolled around and her stomach growled angrily and her bladder felt as if it were about to burst. Maybe she had gone to the wrong room…? As much as Usagi loved to annoy her father by telling him she was going to fail in school, the red head insinuating that Usagi wasn't good enough to attend Infinity Academy had infuriated her and she'd decided that she would actually try instead of intentionally failing. The thought of being marked down for missing a detention left her in a tangle of indecision: should she stay and wait, or should she just go home?

This is how Haruka found Usagi ten minutes later when she stuck a tousled blonde head in the opened door.

"Usagi?"

Usagi started and looked up. Haruka was now leaning on the open door, wearing a black button down shirt tucked in to dark-wash denim jeans that were fitted but not too tight and a pair of black heavy boots. He took her breath away and Usagi couldn't think of anything to say, completely forgetting that she'd been sitting there for three hours, and that he'd flitted through her brain the entire time.

"Why are you sitting in here?"

Usagi's mouth finally caught up with her brain and she shrugged. "You were supposed to be in here with me."

Haruka lifted an eye brow in question, and Usagi wondered if his face was always so expressive or if he just found her especially stupid. Her face began to heat with embarrassment.

"I was supposed to…What are you talking about?" Haruka asked, moving lithely between across the room and sitting in a chair directly in front of Usagi.

Usagi frowned up at him. Obviously following the rules was not on the top of his things to do list. "Detention? Remember? We both got it this morning from that red head?"

Understanding dawned on Haruka and the corner of his mouth twitched. "Detention? Odango, are you serious?"

He sounded like he was trying not to laugh and where did he get off calling her that? "That is not my name! And yes, I happen to care about correcting my mistakes and showing that I care about my attendance!" She stood up indignantly and grabbed her book bag. Haruka stood up as well and followed her to the door.

"Odango."

Usagi whirled around, her long pig tails spinning and glared at him. It didn't matter how handsome he was, he was not going to keep calling her such a stupid nick name. "What?" She snapped, her blue eyes narrowed in annoyance.

Haruka gently closed the door to the room she'd been sitting in and pointed to the sign. Usagi's face went red and then drained of color and she swallowed thickly, understanding sinking in like a dead weight.

The sign read "GALA: Gay and Lesbian Alliance, Infinity Academy. Welcome gays and lesbians…and straights." The sign was printed in black ink on rainbow colored paper and Usagi glanced back in the room, the brightly colored signs now making more sense. "I…I asked someone and they said that detention was in…this room…" Usagi trailed off, realizing that the girl she'd asked had purposefully sent her to the gay room, and that all of the students who had walked past had known, or at least thought they knew, why she was sitting in there. "Excuse me." She choked the words out around the tears that were clogging the back of her throat and dashed to the nearest ladies room, collapsing in one of the spacious stalls. The tears that she had swallowed and fought since her father announced the move burned her eyes and when she thought about her first day of school and the sick humiliation that was churning her stomach…the tears spilled from her eyes and she buried her face in her hands and sobbed.

She didn't hear the bathroom door open or hear how softly it was shut but she did her the soft approach and saw the black boots stop in front of the stall door. She bit back a sob and wanted to scream in embarrassment. It wasn't bad enough that the most attractive guy she'd ever seen had seen her a bloody mess this morning, and had found her sitting in a gay club room, now he was in the ladies room and would get to see her with her mascara running down her cheeks and her nose full of snot. _Great, fine, whatever!_ She thought sarcastically and wiped her tears away roughly.

"Usagi?" Haruka's voice was soft and careful, and it didn't seem to matter what state of mind she was in, the way her name slid off of his tongue raised the hair on her arms. "Usagi, it isn't anything to be upset about. I mean, don't cry about it or anything." He sounded uncomfortable and suddenly she was angry that he was in here, violating her privacy with his presence. She stood up and opened the door, her blue eyes cold and shoved past him to the sink. She splashed cold water on her face and ignored his silent approach.

"Get out of here. This is the girls' bathroom and you are not allowed to be in here. I don't want to talk to you so leave." She spat out and yanked a paper towel from the holder. He didn't move and she resisted looking at him and dried off her face. "I said leave!"

"I don't have to." Haruka said and continued to stand there, his hands deep in the pockets of his jeans, his expression strangely blank and guarded. Usagi's anger boiled and she whirled on him.

"Get out of here! You are not even supposed to be in here!" She was practically yelling and on the verge of tears again and knew that she was revealing too much but she was so embarrassed and felt so alone and misunderstood and there he was, standing witness to it all.

"I don't have to." He repeated and then he hesitated. It was that hesitation that caught Usagi's attention. Even in the short moments that she had known him, he didn't seem like the type who ever hesitated about anything. Suddenly things began to fall into place. His feminine bone structure, the soft cadence of his voice…Haruka had as much of a right as she to be in the girl's bathroom because Haruka was a girl. Usagi stared at Haruka in astonishment and Haruka scowled back and then looked at the wall above Usagi's head.

"I'm not a circus freak, Odango. I thought you already knew." Her voice was heavy with sarcasm and defensiveness.

Immediately Usagi felt bad. "I didn't…I mean, I saw you and thought you were the most handsome guy I'd ever seen and then…I just didn't—" Usagi broke off her stumbling explanation when she noticed the cocky smile that had broken open across the taller blonde's face. It completely changed her entire demeanor and even though she knew Haruka was a girl, her heart still thudded almost painfully in her chest.

"You thought I was the most handsome guy you'd ever seen, huh?" Haruka's grin widened when pink stained the petite blonde's cheeks. "So you think I'm attractive? That's sweet, Odango." Haruka sauntered out of the bathroom, confident that the other girl with the unusual hair style would follow her.

"No!" Usagi protested and grabbed her bag. Haruka was already on the steps leading to the entrance hall. "That's not what I meant!" Haruka paused by the front doors and let her catch up, the amused smile on her lips. "I'm not a lesbian!"

Haruka smirked and leaned down, her lips brushing against Usagi's ear, inhaling the sweet scent of cherry blossoms. She felt the girl stiffen and heard her breath catch in her throat. "You don't have to be a lesbian to find me attractive, koneko." She felt the tremor that passed through the smaller girl and smiled in satisfaction. Oh, Usagi was attracted to her, alright and Haruka was willing to bet anything that she could get the little blonde to want her in her bed before the week was over. She straightened, the challenge of wooing the "straight" girl into her arms setting a competitive fire in her loins. All straight girls said the same thing, but in the end, none of them were as straight as they claimed.

She pushed open the front doors and walked into the cool evening air, leaving the new girl frozen behind her. "You don't have to be a lesbian to want me either, Odango. You'll want me just the same." She called over her shoulder, causing the few remaining students in the courtyard to turn and stare at the immobile blonde, who was turning an ungodly shade of red.

* * *

AN: Sorry this took so long to get written and posted. I lost my motivation and if it wasn't for the review from Princess Cherryblossom, I probably would have let this fanfic die. Thank you so much for your review(s), especially Princess Cherryblossom. I hope this chapter was to everyone's liking, let me know what you think!


	3. Chapter 3

The dining room was silent except for the clinking of silverware against expensive china. Her father had insisted they forego traditional chopsticks when they moved from Japan the first time, and still refused to use anything but western dining utensils. Usagi was quiet and poked at the fluffy white rice on her plate with her fork absently. Her mind was on Haruka and what she'd said as she walked out of the school. Her words had been arrogant and as far as Usagi was concerned, absolutely wrong. For one thing, she wasn't a lesbian. She'd had crushes on guys all of her life. Granted, those crushes had never turned into anything more but she blamed her lack of romance on her father. And anyway, now that she knew Haruka was actually a girl, she definitely didn't find her attractive…Usagi pushed her chicken across her plate as forcefully as she pushed away the nagging doubt that lingered in the back of her mind.

"Usagi. You didn't attend Elizabeth's Academy for Young Ladies so that I could watch you pick at your food like a child." Her father barely glanced up from the file spread across his end of the dining table as he said this.

Irritation rippled through Usagi's veins but she kept her mouth shut in a tight line and stabbed a piece of chicken violently. He had no right to criticize her. He hadn't been home since their plane landed and now here he was, nose buried in work and ready to point out any of her wrong doings. Usagi glared at her mother across the expensive teak table top and wished that for once, her mother would stick up for her. Her mother didn't meet her daughter's angry stare as she placed another bite of chicken and rice into her mouth.

Her mother's silent acquisition to her father's every wish and demand was too much. "May I be excused?" Usagi didn't wait for her father's approval, she was already walking from the dining room and neither of her parents made an effort to stop her. As she let the front door close behind her, Usagi wished that for once, one of them would care enough to stop her.

* * *

Haruka slouched lower into her leather couch, a half finished beer on the coffee table and the TV turned to the racing channel. Chet Williams, an American motorcycle racer, had been plastered over every major racing channel for the last two hours. The media was idolizing the foreigner because he was not only good looking, but he was notorious for being a ladies man and an all around "bad boy". Not unlike Tenoh Haruka, as so many reporters were quick to point out. The fact that Chet would likely never race against Haruka was apparently a source of great disappointment for fans, both American and Japanese. Haruka rolled her neck back and let her head rest against the plush back of the couch, her eyes staring blankly at the vaulted ceiling of her pent house.

Her mind, while occupied briefly by the aspect of new competition, turned back to the new girl. _Usagi._ She thought, and couldn't help the predatory smile that crawled across her lips. The girl was interesting to say the least.

She'd arrived at school late, a major faux pas for the first day, especially at Infinity, and looking as if she had tangled with every possibly dangerous object along the way. Her hands had been scraped and she had been in the process of fixing her hair when she'd noticed them. The way her blue eyes had widened had amused Haruka, along with her bedraggled state. Usagi was as far from the usual Infinity girl as possible. Not that she wasn't pretty; in fact, as she'd approached them, Haruka had been surprised just how pretty the new girl was. Looking past the blood and ripped clothes, the girl had actually been beautiful. Her hair was a beautiful golden blonde, shiny, thick and long. Her unusual hair style could have looked out of place but its whimsical buns seemed to do nothing more than enhance the delicate and sweet structure of the girl's face. And her eyes…Haruka groaned, oh the color was the purest blue and there was something about how open they were that made Haruka want to protect the girl and pour her heart out at the same time.

Haruka stood up and walked out on the large balcony that wrapped around the entire floor of her pent house. The balcony was littered with expensive lounging chairs and at one end a covered hot tub overlooked the glittering water and expanse of twinkling city lights. She loved it up here. When she had received her first paycheck from her sponsors for winning her first motorcycle race, the first thing she had done was calling a realtor and bought this place. She didn't mind that the condo was huge, with five bedrooms and three full bathrooms; she had more space than she knew what to do with. She'd hired an interior decorator and set the woman loose. Luckily, the designer had judged Haruka's tastes perfectly and each room of the apartment exuded masculinity. Still…

The tall blonde sighed and leaned against the balustrade, and stared out across the city that was her home. Still, she sometimes wished that she could find someone to share this with.

* * *

Usagi had been walking aimlessly for the last two hours and finally ended up at the beach. The sand was deserted and dark; the only light came from the city at her back and the moon that was rising lethargically from the black ocean before her. She took off her shoes and walked barefoot through the sand down to the water. The waves that licked the beach were cold and Usagi revealed in the way the water caressed her feet before gently retreated several feet, only to do it again. When her feet were numb and she could no longer feel them, Usagi walked back up the beach and plopped down on a dune, tucking her feet up to her knees and stared out at the water.

What was wrong with her parents? Her father was oblivious to anyone's desires or needs except his own and her mother was okay with it. She would make excuses for his short comings as a father and as a husband, all the while reaffirming what Usagi had felt for years: that her mother would always put her husband before their daughter, regardless of how unhappy Usagi was. It had infuriated her in the past but now Usagi was beginning to lose her hold on that anger, its protective shell slipping and in its wake, only a sad sense of desolation was left. The anger over her parents' lack of understanding or empathy for their only child was much easier to hold on to and for some reason it felt safer. Whenever Usagi felt the anger begin to disintegrate and the loneliness swell it take its place, she would think of each time her father had come home and announced that he was, yet again, uprooting his family. The image of his face, infused with smug self-indulgence, was enough to efficiently kill any troublesome despondency and leave Usagi seething. Her father's inability to put anyone before himself was something that Usagi had grown to accept, but her mother's submissive compliance hurt. She couldn't get used to the way her mother would look away from her only daughter and ignore the pleading looks Usagi threw her way. She couldn't get used to the way her mother always took her father's side, or the way that she quelled any quiet hope that Usagi retained about staying in one place long enough to become good friends with anyone.

Sometimes she wished that she had never been born, or that her parents would just disappear and leave her to live alone in one place. It would be easier if they just forgot they even had a daughter that they weren't proud of, and if she could just forget she had parents who didn't care about her. She rested her cheek on her knees and let her eyes drift close. She wondered how long it would be before the expensive cell phone her mother had given her so they could "keep in touch" would ring. The sadness lapped against her like the ocean's waves as she realized that it probably wouldn't.

* * *

Haruka cut the engine off to her street bike in the small parking lot at Infinity Academy. It was mostly empty; most students and teachers were "going green" and had stopped driving to work or school, instead opting to walk or ride a bicycle, which was evident by the number of students pouring into the courtyard on foot and the over-flowing bike racks. Haruka pulled off her helmet and ran a hand through her slightly damp hair, aware of the appreciative looks the girls were throwing her and the jealous grumblings of the male students. Hinako, a curvy brunette who was famous for her crawl stroke and long legs, strutted over to Haruka and placed a more than friendly kiss on Haruka's cheek, her dark eyes sparkling.

"Haruka, why didn't you call me back the other night?" She play-pouted, her plump red lips drawing Haruka's attention. "I waited by the phone all night hoping you would call and ask me to come over." The brunette tilted her head and let her long hair fall over her shoulder enticingly.

Haruka shook her head and pulled her eyes away from the open invitation that Hinako was making with every square inch of her athletic body. "You know I don't invite girls to come over, Hinako. And I never said I would call you."

She watched and caught the flash of disappointment in the swimmer's eyes but was impressed by how quickly she recovered, the play-pout replaced by a confident, sexy smile. "I know, I just figured that you would. See you around." Haruka watched her walk away, and thought briefly about calling her, but dismissed the thought as soon as it crossed her mind. She never spent more than one night with a girl. It led to complications and expectations that she didn't want to live up to. One night was all anyone ever got, and most of the time, the girls took her subtle rejection in stride but every student at Infinity knew that Haruka was untouchable and took caution.

Rei met her by the school stairs, her raven hair shot with streaks of deep violet in the morning sun. Hino Rei was beautiful, but her quick temper kept most students at bay, with the exception of the tall, leggy brunette who kept pace beside her. Kino Makato was a star karate student at Infinity and already a chef with a reputation that stretched across Japan. Her latest cookbook, a collection of her easiest and most delicious recipes, was flying off the shelves like crazy and there was talk of her own cooking show on primetime TV. Whatever her claim to fame was, Makato was laid-back and friendly, with open green eyes and a welcoming smile. It was impossible to dislike her, which Haruka thought was part of the problem Rei was having.

Rei never dated, disliked most men and boys with a disturbing passion and kept girls at an arms length. Haruka had wondered whether the priestess in training was a lesbian or simply asexual until Makato had transferred to the academy three months ago. Suddenly, Haruka was seeing a side of Rei that she had previously thought did not exist. Makato had immediately been drawn to Rei, whom she told Haruka later she thought had an injured soul that needed nothing more than love and good food. Rei had resisted the taller girl, but gradually, she'd broken down and now it was clear from every look and small touch that passed silently between the two that they were deeply in love. A small, hidden part of Haruka was jealous. Not that Rei was with someone else, but because there were times when she wondered what it would be like to love someone so much…She nodded in greeting and kept walking, the two other girls in their skirts and blouses falling in step beside her. Rei was first to break the companionable silence.

"The new girl is cute." The statement had a lilt at the end and Haruka knew that Rei was subtly asking if she thought the girl was attractive. Haruka shrugged and declined to respond.

Rei glanced at Makato, who shrugged and smile good-naturedly before taking her girl friends' slender hand, linking their fingers. Rei scowled. The whole point of bringing up that annoyingly cute new girl was to see if Haruka was actually interested, like most of the school seemed to think. She didn't even like to admit that another girl was cuter than she might be because so far, no one at the academy was. She glanced at her girlfriend again and mentally amended that last statement. Besides her girlfriend, no one was as cute as she was. It wasn't that she was vain and she never would have cared in the past but since she had started dating Makato, she'd become increasingly jealous of other girls. Makato was so sweet and open, and her personality seemed to draw guys and girls alike to her side. Rei didn't really mind if Makato had friends…as long as they were ugly. She hid a smile.

Makato tried to get some information out of Haruka as they walked into their homeroom and sat at their desks. "I heard she was at GALA for like three hours just sitting there." She waited for Haruka to respond but the blonde just pulled out a book and opened it. Makato plowed on. "So she's a lesbian. I wonder if she's dating anyone…I know that Mina is interested, maybe I'll try to set something up."

That did the trick. Haruka's ears had perked at the mention of Mina and now she was glaring at Makato through narrowed eyes. "Usagi isn't a lesbian."

Rei looked over curiously. There was a hint of steel to Haruka's usually smooth voice and the noticeable change had her raising her eyebrows. "She's not? Well, even if she isn't, I'm sure that Mina will still take a crack at her."

Haruka stiffened and then caught the amused and knowing looks her friends were throwing her way and forced herself to relax. The thought of Usagi being subjected to Mina's fickle flirting and attention rubbed her the wrong way but why should she care who Mina flirted with? Usagi held no particular interest for Haruka. "Mina can do whatever she wants. I just know that Usagi is not into girls." She turned a page in her book randomly, hoping that she appeared unruffled by the conversation.

Rei shrugged, not believing Haruka's feigned indifference for one second but Haruka thought herself the master of deception, flirting and having relationships that never meant anything. Rei didn't feel like being the one to point out that she'd revealed more about how she might view the new girl in the last five minutes than she ever had with any girl before.

Makato ignored Haruka's fake indifference. She wasn't one to hide what she thought or how she felt. "Well, I think the new girl is hot. She looks completely different from anyone in this stuffy school. I'll bet she's really interesting."

Rei shot her girlfriend a warning look that smoldered with bridled jealousy. Makato smiled and kissed her girlfriend's clenched fist softly. "Not as interesting or nearly as hot as you though."

She couldn't resist. Whenever Makato gave her that sweet look, her green eyes full of promise and sincerity, she just melted. Rei smiled back. "Haruka, maybe you should find out if she is as interesting as Makato seems to think she is. Or maybe you are a little afraid that she might be more interesting than you can handle…?"

The carefully worded challenge hung in the air, and Haruka stared at her friend stonily. Rei was baiting her, taunting her with something that she knew Haruka was afraid of, secretly. Haruka never got close to anyone she was physically involved with and Rei knew that best of all.

"There isn't anything any girl can throw at me that I wouldn't be able to handle, Hino." She muttered, and turned back to her book, not believing her statement for one moment. There was something about Usagi that made her feel a little off balance, as if she were walking a tightrope blindfolded. It was disconcerting but it was exactly for that reason and that reason alone, that she was determined to prove Rei wrong. She didn't need anyone; she never had and she never would.

* * *

Usagi carried her lunch in an old-fashioned English pewter lunch pail. It made her feel a little out of place as she walked through the inner courtyard where all the students were sitting in groups eating lunch, because none of them had lunch pails. All of their lunches appeared catered or bought from the school cafeteria, which Usagi had discovered the day before, was like a five star restaurant.

She paused at the edge of the courtyard, her eyes skimming over the crowds looking for someone that seemed remotely familiar, maybe someone from one of her classes…? But the girls that she did recognize from a few of her classes pointedly avoided eye contact and Usagi felt strangely deflated as she sat at an empty lunch table. It had never bothered her before to be the new girl, but then again, at all of her previous schools, she hadn't been avoided like the plague. _Oh well,_ she thought and then straightened resolutely, _never let them see you down! _

With that thought, she dug into her lunch (fried chicken and macaroni salad) and opened her journal. Her journal was actually a beat-up sketch book full of blank slightly yellowed paper pages that she had purchased from a Tibetan monk when she had vacationed in Tibet over winter break. Since then, it was her constant companion and she wrote and drew everything about her life in it. It was beat up mostly because she was clumsy and it had taken a few dunks in the toilet, bathtub, mud puddle and dirt with her. Now she opened it to a mostly blank page that she'd been drawing the view of the ocean from where she had been sitting last night. It was realistic but Usagi knew that it lacked emotion, like most of her drawings, which was why she never pursued it except in the privacy of her journal.

A shadow fell across her paper and lunch and Usagi glanced up, shielding her eyes against the glare of the sun. Her heart gave a funny leap when she recognized Haruka and she didn't know what to say. After everything the girl had said yesterday, she didn't know what to think.

Haruka stood there for a second more then finally sat down across from Usagi, her tall frame draping over the bench seat with the same grace of a predatory cat. Nervous energy coursed through Usagi's limbs and she folded her fingers tightly together to keep from reaching and touching the other girl's large hand on the table top.

"What are you eating?" Haruka asked, not really interested but it was a good way to start a conversation. If the blonde liked sushi, Haruka would immediately make a face and tell her how gross she thought it was. If the blonde said she hated sushi and she was eating pork, Haruka would pretend to be disgusted by pork…etc. It worked every time.

"KFC." Usagi was caught off guard by the question and showed her open lunch pail to Haruka.

Haruka forgot the rules to her own game and leaned forward, suddenly very interested. "Kentucky Fried Chicken? How did you get that?" KFC was a secret addiction that she'd developed when she was doing some racing for charity in the USA last year. She hadn't had it since then, although she'd tried to duplicate it in her kitchen with disastrous results.

Usagi felt confused by Haruka's sudden change in behavior. She had gone from being coolly remote and vaguely disinterested and now she was leaning forward looking almost…hungry? "My father bought a chain of them when we lived in the States and we get packages of chicken and the sides once a month." She hesitated and then offered the lunch pail to Haruka. "Would you like some?"

Her hand was already in the pail and out by the time Usagi had finished her sentence and a look of pure joy passed over her face when she bit into the cold, deep fried chicken. Usagi watched as she polished off the chicken leg in astonishment. How could anyone enjoy chicken that much? It wasn't like cake or something. "I'm glad you liked it." She mumbled.

Haruka nodded. "It was okay." She was disturbed at how easy it had been for her to completely relax her guard like that, and over something as ridiculous as American chicken. She carefully reconstructed her cool, collected veneer, and watched as Usagi quickly closed the book she'd been drawing in. She'd been drawing the ocean at night, and Haruka wondered how often she went down to the waterfront and sat in the sand. It was something Haruka did whenever she couldn't sleep and if alcohol wasn't an appealing alternative.

"How are your classes?" She finally asked.

"Fine. They're classes." Usagi tucked her journal into her book bag and took a sip of water. She would have much rather had soda but her father insisted that soda was not something that the upper class ingested. Looking around at what the other students were drinking, Usagi realized that he was right.

"Well you either like your classes or you don't."

Usagi looked back to Haruka, her heart doing that odd stutter. She really was handsome, even if she was a girl. Her hair was that sandy blonde and in the sunlight it picked up strands of dark gold and red. She was wearing the black slacks and blue button up that the boys wore, with her tie loosened at the neck. A tiny diamond earring glinted in one ear and she'd pulled men's designer sunglasses from her pocket and put them on. Usagi realized that she'd been staring and flushed, looking down at her fingers. "I don't really care if I like them or not. I won't be here long enough to form an opinion so it doesn't really matter."

Haruka stared at Usagi's tilted head, admiring the deep golden strands that fell loose from the buns and framed her face. She was beautiful in a way that made something clench inside Haruka. "Why wouldn't you be here long?" Somehow the thought of Usagi leaving before she had a chance to get to know her, or rather, prove Rei wrong, didn't settle well.

"My father is constantly moving up in his company and it won't be long before another promotion comes along that he has to take."

"It sounds annoying. Don't you miss your friends?"

Usagi shrugged. "What friends?" She caught the raised eyebrow and rolled her eyes. "I didn't mean it in such a pathetic way. I just meant, I don't have time to make friends and even if I do, what's the point? I'm constantly moving. This is the second school this year that I've attended."

It didn't matter that Usagi acted like it didn't bother her that she didn't have friends, because Haruka had seen the raw look of loneliness flicker in her eyes. There it was again, that clenching. Why did she want to pull her into her arms and fill that lonely void? "How many schools have you been to?"

"In my life?" Usagi laughed but the sound was tinged with bitterness. "I'm almost eighteen years old and the first time we moved was when I was a child. Since then I have attended two schools every year except for my first year of high school. I was in America and we stayed there for the full year."

"And then what? You just moved again and that was it for the friendships you made there?" Haruka pitied Usagi, but knew that the last thing the other girl would want was pity.

Usagi shrugged again, "We kept in touch for a while and sometimes my friend Molly will send me an email but it's hard. All we have in common is our freshman year and what does that equate to now? We are different people, living in different worlds." Usagi finally looked at Haruka questioningly. "Why are you talking to me?"

The question was so straight forward and without any preamble that for a moment Haruka didn't know how to respond. "You looked lonely." She regretted the words as soon as she uttered them because Usagi was already on her feet, her expression rigid as she grabbed her bag and lunch pail. Haruka stood quickly and stopped Usagi with a gentle hand on her wrist. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. You were alone and the truth is--" She paused, feeling uncertain for the first time in as long as she could remember. "Would you like to go out for dinner with me tonight?" She hadn't intended on asking her out but the words were out already and there was no retracting them.

Usagi stared at the other girl in amazement, her face turning red. _Did that just happen?_ Haruka was looking at her expectantly and Usagi didn't know what to say. "I'm not a lesbian, Haruka."

It was the first time that Usagi had said her name and Haruka let the thrill of it roll down her spine. She decided to let Usagi think that she wasn't attracted to another girl. "I already told you that you don't have to be a lesbian to be attracted to me, Odango."

"I told you not to call me that!" Usagi shrieked, causing multiple heads to turn their direction. Usagi's face turned a deeper shade of red and she wondered if it was going to become a daily habit to humiliate herself. "I am not attracted to you, and I am not an odango!" She finished in a loud whisper, her eyebrows drawn down across her blue eyes in annoyance.

"Fine, fine. Look, do you want to go grab something to eat with me or not?" Haruka was quickly slipping back on her indifferent mask and waited almost impatiently for her answer. Screw Rei and her stupid mind games. She didn't have to prove anything to her.

It was Haruka's sudden withdraw that Usagi noticed, like yesterday in the bathroom. She was putting up her walls, Usagi realized and instantly felt bad. Haruka hadn't been asking her on a date, she'd been asking her to grab food and Usagi had acted like she was trying to force her into bed right in the middle of the courtyard. She felt like an idiot and an arrogant jerk. Just because Haruka was a lesbian didn't mean she was attracted to every girl in the world. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to have a friend.

"Yes."

Haruka's eyes snapped back to Usagi's face in surprise. "What?"

Usagi's face was still a little pink but her eyes were softer when she met Haruka's gaze. "I said that I would like to get something to eat with you tonight."

Haruka felt her stomach turn and nodded gruffly. "Fine, I'll pick you up at seven." She had already disappeared into the school before Usagi realized she hadn't asked where she lived.

* * *

Ah, there you guys go. Thanks for the kind reviews. This fic is a little more difficult for me because it is a girl/girl pairing and anything I have ever written before was girl/guy. So this is new but it is definitely fun so far. My work allows me nine hours to just sit in front of a computer since the season is slow so far, so hopefully I can get out a chapter every time I work. If not, be patient. And if anyone is interested in writing a Haruka/Usagi story with me, email me and let me know! Thanks so much and until next time!


	4. Chapter 4

_Pink?_ Usagi held up the pink cardigan and studied it with her dark wash skinny jeans and black cami. _Or…lime green? _She decided on the lime green and added her black stilettos with the peek-a-boo toe and quickly hooked carved ebony earrings into her earlobes. Tonight she'd decided to forgo her traditional meat-ball hair style, hoping to waylay any attempt on Haruka's part to use that irritating nickname. She'd spent the last half hour deciding what to wear, modeling one outfit after another in front of her bedroom mirror and for over an hour before that, she'd painstakingly blow dried and straightened her knee length hair. A small part of her wondered why she was taking so much care with her appearance when Haruka was a girl and this was most certainly _not_ a date, but she shushed that inner voice and clicked down the stairs to wait by the front door.

She could hear her mother in the kitchen cleaning up from the dinner she'd made for herself. Usagi had told her she was grabbing some food with a girl from school, and her father was at the office as usual.

The door bell chimed pleasantly and Usagi opened the door, her breath sticking in her throat. Haruka was standing in front of her on the middle step, which made her exactly eye-level with Usagi. Her eyes were full of self assurance, and when she smiled, it was impossible for Usagi to ignore the intense pull of attraction.

She blinked quickly and focused on Haruka's outfit. She was wearing a dark gray button up with a pair of black jeans and comfortable black loafers. A black leather jacket completed the look, but her ears were bare of any jewelry, along with her fingers. She was so handsome that Usagi knew that anyone who didn't know better would mistake her for a guy.

"Usagi? Who is it?" Her mother came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron, her eyes bright with curiosity. Usagi winced; she'd wanted to avoid this meeting. She'd planned on rushing out the door when Haruka arrived and hadn't counted on the other girl ringing the doorbell. Her mother was smiling but the smile faltered slightly when she caught view of her daughter's guest and her eyes turned from curious to confused.

Usagi hesitated but knew that her mother was going to assume the worst so she leapt into introductions. "Mom, this is Tenoh Haruka. Haruka, this is my mom, Tsukino Ikuko. Okay well now that that's out of the way, we're leaving now!" She made to walk past Haruka and down the steps but Haruka stopped her with one hand and reached to shake her mom's hand with the other.

"A pleasure, Mrs. Tsukino." She said and smiled charmingly, her voice velvet and Usagi could tell that even her mom was not immune to Haruka's appeal.

Ikuko smiled uncertainly, her eyes flicking from her daughter's obvious discomfort to the handsome young man who was greeting her. Why had Usagi said she was going out with some girl when she obviously had a date with a very attractive young man? "The pleasure is mine. Have you spent time in the States?" She asked, referring to the way Haruka had addressed her.

Haruka smiled and her voice strong with confidence and charisma. "I spent time there racing motorcycles and cars."

Usagi could see Haruka in the States, head to toe in racing gear, herds of fawning American girls around her. She frowned at the thought absently.

"Oh my. Well, that's a dangerous sport for someone so young."

"Well, what I lack in age, I make up for in experience." Haruka ignored Usagi's blush and glare, knowing she was echoing the words that Usagi had tossed at her that first morning in the hall.

Ikuko nodded doubtfully. "Well, the two of you have fun tonight. Usagi don't be out too late."

Haruka smiled again and let Usagi precede her down the front steps. "Ma'am, I will have her home in one piece at an appropriate time." Ikuko decided to ignore her confusion, Usagi must have not wanted to admit she had a date for some reason, and closed the front door, a small smile on her lips. Maybe they wouldn't move away this time and Usagi would have a chance a normal life.

Haruka opened the passenger door on the sleek black sports car that was idling in front of Usagi's house, and was rewarded for her efforts with as Usagi's sweet scent tickled her nose. It wasn't just sweet, it was deliciously tantalizing, along with everything about the petite blonde.

"You changed your hair." Haruka stated as she climbed into the car and closed the door, not bothering to buckle in before she whipped onto the street smoothly.

Usagi reached up uncertainly to finger a piece of her long hair. "Does it look bad?"

Haruka glanced over, taking in Usagi's long golden hair, the way she nibbled on her lower thick pink lip, the soft glow of her skin under the passing street lights… "No. The last thing you look is bad."

Usagi peeked at Haruka. She was staring at the road, one hand relaxed across the wheel, the other resting on the stick shift. A thoughtful expression was flickering across her features and Usagi wondered what she was thinking about. "You raced in the U.S.?"

"Yeah, my manager insisted it was for charity but for me, it was just for fun."

"Is that when you fell in love with deep fried chicken?"

Haruka looked at her, raising an eyebrow. "I do not fall in love Odango." A sardonic smile twisted her lips and twisted something painfully in Usagi's stomach. The statement shouldn't have bothered her, after all, they were talking about chicken but it seemed like Haruka was trying to make a point. For some reason, that point stung Usagi.

Haruka sensed the other girl's slight withdraw and felt a little guilty. "I did start liking KFC a lot while I was there though." She offered. "It isn't the healthiest addiction but I suppose it could be worse."

Usagi was mollified and smiled. "At least it isn't cocaine…just poultry."

Haruka laughed and stopped the car. Usagi started when a tall guy in a valet's uniform opened her door and bowed slightly. He extended his hand and Usagi took it hesitantly, feeling underdressed and unprepared. "Thank you."

The car hop held onto her hand a moment too long, and then Haruka was standing next to her, taking her hand from the car hop's with a possessive frown that both she and Usagi were unaware of. The glint in Haruka's eye had the car hop taking a step back, relinquishing the beautiful blonde's hand like a hot coal.

The restaurant was obviously expensive, Usagi judged by the exterior and the elegantly scrolled sign hanging over the doorway: _Little Italy. Authentic Italian Dining. _She looked questioningly at Haruka, who just smiled and shook her head. "You will love it."

The tall blonde wasn't wrong. Usagi gasped in delight and stopped to take in the interior of the restaurant. Nothing on its exterior belied what lay on the inside. It was as if the heart of Italy had been cut out and shipped to the middle of Japan. They were on a cobblestone street that probably dated to the period when Romans still ruled. The walls were charming villa town houses, with brightly painted wooden doors and shutters that were flung open over flower boxes overflowing with flowers. Tables were set up in different sections in the out door café style traditional in Italy, and the wait staff moved in a well-practiced waltz with huge trays above their heads piled with steaming Italian food. A waitress clad in black and white led a gaping Usagi and amused Haruka to a table in front of a large fountain.

Seated, Usagi turned to Haruka, her face still amazed. "I love it."

Haruka smiled and took a sip of her merlot. "I told you."

"I summered in Italy." Usagi disclosed, looking up at the ceiling that was painted expertly like the night sky, complete with glittering stars that looked like they were illuminated crystals. "My summers and school breaks are the only times in my life when I actually appreciate what my father does for a living."

"Why's that?"

Usagi glanced at Haruka with a wry smile. "He makes money, a lot of it. Without it, I wouldn't have been towed around the world for his ambitions. I hate that aspect. On the other hand, with it, I have been able to spend my time off from school traveling wherever I want, no limit on money." Her throat felt cottony and she reached for her sparkling white wine. "My father is generous with his money. If nothing else, I suppose that makes up for his selfishness." She stated after draining half of her glass.

Again, there was that surge of protectiveness, powerful and without reason like a wave. Haruka watched in silence as Usagi drained the second half of her glass and refilled it. It would have been easy to seduce the petite blonde with mysterious smiles and promising glances, and enthrall her with amusing anecdotes. Instead, and much more troubling to the impenetrable Haruka, she found that she was seduced and enthralled by Usagi…who was in the process of downing her second glass of wine.

"Whoa there ace." Haruka snagged the wine bottle as Usagi reached for it again and tried to ignore the adorable pout. "Is it so difficult for you to enjoy my company that you feel the need to get drunk?" She glanced at her watch and raised her eyebrows. "It hasn't even been an hour."

A flush crept across Usagi's face and her pout was replaced by an indignant scowl. "I'm not a light-weight, Haruka. I can handle my alcohol. And it is not up to you, nor will it ever be to supervise my drinking habits." She snatched the bottle back from Haruka and resolutely poured another glass.

Haruka grabbed the glass, the bottle and her own glass and handed them to a passing waitress. "Maybe you can handle it. However, when you are out with me, it is up to me to supervise your drinking. I promised I would get you home safely, and I don't want to set you back on your doorstep drunk…you mother wouldn't let you go out with me again."

Usagi glared. "I am not drunk. We are not on a date and you are not taking me out again anyway."

Haruka frowned and steepled her long fingers together under her chin as if in deep thought. "I believe that this qualifies as a date because I picked you up, I am taking you to a nice dinner--which you would find that you are enjoying if you weren't being so stubborn—I will be paying for dinner, driving you home and kissing you goodnight at the doorstep with promises to call soon." She leaned across the table and captured Usagi's hand and brought her wrist to her lips gently. "I will take you out again because you like me and won't be able to say no when I ask you because…" Haruka brushed her lips across the inside of Usagi's wrist and Usagi's heart jolted, her breath catching in her throat. "Because you are deeply attracted to me, whether you want to admit it to yourself yet or not."

Oh this couldn't be happening. Usagi wanted to throw herself across the table and drown in Haruka's eyes. She swallowed, her head feeling light and dizzy. She wasn't sure if it was because of the wine or if it was because of the way Haruka's lips felt caressing her wrist. She had never been so physically close to anyone before; she supposed it was the closest she had ever come to being actually kissed.

She pulled back her hand and hid it under the table. Her skin felt like it was on fire and she couldn't tell if her face was actually red or if she just imagined it was. "Well, I'm not drunk, anyway." She stated stubbornly when she couldn't think of anything else to say.

Usagi tried to ignore the way Haruka's laugh slid through her like an invisible hand, clenching ruthlessly at her heart and distracted herself by biting into a soft breadstick.

"Maybe not, but you are well on your way if your flushed cheeks are any indicator." Haruka played with her fork. "May I ask you something?"

_Uh-oh_. Usagi paused in devouring a fourth breadstick dipped in olive oil seasoned with pesto. "You can but I might not answer you."

_Blonde but clever_, Haruka thought, smiling. "You seem to really dislike your father and hate moving at his every whim. What about your mother? Doesn't she care that you are unhappy?"

Usagi swallowed her breadstick and looked at the fountain. It was elaborately beautiful, all ivory marble. The center of the fountain was a naked woman holding a pitcher, which overflowed with water into the pool littered with coins. The woman's face was peaceful, her blank marble eyes serene. Usagi wished that she felt like that. She looked back to Haruka and decided to answer the question honestly.

"I think she cares that I am unhappy but she would never do anything to cross my father. She was brought up believing that women should defer to men in all aspects of life. Maybe if I had been born a boy, she would oppose my father's will but I was stuck with the misfortune of being born a girl." Usagi glanced at her hands and forced a smile. "I don't hate my father but I hate that he only thinks of himself."

"Have you talked to him? I mean, have you told him how you feel about the moving?"

Usagi shook her head slowly. "No. I mean, when I was younger, I did but it went in one ear and out the other. He would get angry and defensive and then my mother would come and usher me out, making excuses for him until I began to resent her for defending him and not comforting me."

"I don't blame you." Haruka murmured, her heart softening. Usagi was sitting before her looking like she did that day in the bathroom and again at the lunch table, lonely.

Usagi shrugged and smiled as the waitress served them their dinner. "It doesn't matter. I just wonder how long it will be until we move again."

The thought of Usagi leaving bothered Haruka more than she would admit under torture. "You could stay here. Let them move without you."

She laughed and shook her head. "How in the world would that work? My father totes me around like a golden prize, and my mother, for all of her faults, loves me. They would never let me just stay here while they go globe-trotting. If I threatened to stay with or without their permission, my father would cut off my funds and I would have no money with which to stay here."

"My place has five bedrooms. I only use one of them." The offer was already out of her mouth before Haruka realized what she'd said. Horror at her unconscious revelation left her mouth dry. What in the hell had she just said? She had with two thoughtless sentences left herself open to rejection and pain. How stupid could she possibly be? This small blonde girl was ruining her!

"Right." Usagi rolled her eyes sarcastically, missing the vulnerable surprise in Haruka's eyes and therefore, saving the other girl the embarrassment of having to retract her offer. "Who has five bedrooms to spare?" Usagi giggled.

Haruka slipped her cocky mask back on and shook her head. "You're right, that's ridiculous." She didn't bother to correct Usagi, or tell her that even as a student with a year of school left, she had more money than Usagi's own father probably had. She may be arrogant when it came to love, or lust, but she was never arrogant about her finances.

The rest of dinner passed quickly without anymore intense conversation or wine, but Usagi's face was still flushed and her eyes were still bright as Haruka walked her to the front door. There were no lights on in the house, Usagi knew that her mother would have gone to bed hours earlier and that her father was probably still at the office or he was working up in bed. Either way, there were no curious faces peeping out the windows as she turned to smile shyly into Haruka's penetrating gaze.

"Thank you for dinner. I loved the restaurant and the food was amazing."

Haruka grinned crookedly and rested a forearm on the front porch railing. Her bangs fell across her eyes rakishly and Usagi's heart began to beat double time. She knew her hands were sweating and worried that her breath reeked of garlic. "I told you that you would." Haruka stepped up, sharing the top step with Usagi, her shirt almost brushing against the small girl's nose. "I actually had a really good time too." She couldn't keep the surprise out of her voice.

Her smile grew broader when Usagi tilted her head back to glare at her. "Well glad I could surprise a playboy like you." Her tone was slightly insulted and a little frown crinkled her smooth brow. Haruka found that she liked insulting her, even if it was mostly on accident, simply because she found Usagi's pouting endearing.

"Whoa, sheath you claws, little kitten." She murmured, laughter warming her voice and softening her eyes. She took Usagi's chin between her fingers and looked searchingly into the cerulean blue pools. She could feel Usagi's pulse, quick and erratic against her pinky, and could see the hesitant questions in those entrancing depths.

She could kiss her now and Usagi wouldn't do anything to stop it. The knowledge of her power was not only heady but dangerous. Heady because Haruka loved power and control, but more importantly, it was dangerous because of how badly she wanted to do it. She'd kissed and done more with plenty of girls, and _wanted _to do all those things. But the want had never been anything more than a faceless physical desire, any girl would have done as well as the next to fulfill it and it wouldn't have made a difference to Haruka.

This want was different. She felt it with her whole body, and not just with her body, she was beginning to feel it elsewhere…that was enough to scare her off and she took a step back without kissing Usagi with a regretful smile.

"Sorry Odango." She walked down the stairs and then turned, with her cocky smile safely back in place. "I don't kiss on the first date."

Usagi gaped, her face filling with hot blood. Her pulse was still going haywire and she was breathing as if she'd just run up a flight of stairs. "It wasn't a date, you jerk!" She yelled as Haruka reached her car. Haruka shook her head, laughing and waved, before climbing in and roaring off into the night.

Usagi grumbled low in her throat as she got ready for bed and yanked the blankets up around her. _I didn't want her to kiss me anyway! _She rolled over in bed, unable to get comfortable. _Kissing her would be…_She rolled back to her other side, scowling at the clock on her nightstand. _Kissing her would be…well, it wouldn't be good or anything. I wouldn't want her to do that anyway…would I? NO! Of course not. Maybe if I was a lesbian I would maybe think she was maybe a little attractive and maybe I would think about kissing her and doing other things—NO! God, you idiot! Shut up and go to sleep!_ Usagi groaned and flings herself onto her back in desperation, trying to ignore her own wayward and betraying thoughts. All she could think about as she fought for sleep was the way she had felt when she was with Haruka.

Usagi sighed, worried at that feeling. She knew what it was; she just hadn't felt it in so long that it was unfamiliar.

She felt home.

Sorry this took so long for me to get out. Excuses are lame, I'll admit that I hate it when other people do this when they haven't posted new chapters in FOREVER but I will offer mine anyway: I got laid off from my job (thank you economic situation that has befallen our country) and since then, I have been pounding the pavement looking for work. I haven't yet resorted to anything sordid or illegal but it has almost been a month and each day that passes without a new job, the sordid and illegal begins to look promising. Ha ha. Anyway, review if you enjoyed. I am pretty excited because I know where the next few chapters are going. Who knows maybe I will have the next one up tomorrow.


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